


Retrograde

by orphan_account



Category: Life with Derek
Genre: Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26118634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Casey gets heart broken, and turns to someone for comfort, and it ends up being the most passionate night of her life. Casey finds herself pregnant, interrupting her last year in University.  She is shocked and horrified, especially about seeking out the father to be. The reveal of the baby to come, starts a chain of events. As a romantic, Casey had always imagined being married to the love of her life, and then getting pregnant, but now stood before her uncertainty and a twisted future deeply entwined with the person she swore she'd never see again. And he happens to be her step-brother.
Relationships: Casey McDonald/Derek Venturi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 27





	1. Baby Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have always wanted to do a baby fic for Dasey, and I know there are so many great stories already but here's my attempt at it. Please let me know what you thought of the start of this fic. Due to me starting school I will be slow updating my works in progress. I will have three new stories in the works, plus the crossover fic. I know, ambitious, but I just need to keep writing for these two! :) Please be patient with me as I will probably update infrequently from now. Thank you so much for following my work <3
> 
> Warning: While not overly explicit, some mature content may come up.

_Holy Crap._

Casey stared down at the stick with horror, shock, and queasiness. It couldn't be true, this couldn't be happening. She slid down the wall, sitting down on the floor, gasping. She felt a wave of anxiety hit her. All her life, she had planned every day, week, month, and life in specific sequence. And in one moment, everything changed, she felt tears slip down her cheek. Nothing about this was simple, it was bad enough she got pregnant one year before University graduation, but she got pregnant with the one person that would make an already complicated situation, even more complex. Those two faint lines were brittle dreams crumbling around her. How could she have allowed this to happen? She was the responsible one, always abiding to the rules and yet here she was, contemplating what to do next. She couldn't contain it, she wept. She wept for what she couldn't control, wept because she had allowed this to happened, wept because she couldn't blame him entirely, and wept because she knew she wanted to keep the baby. She had been extremely emotional for weeks, and she thought it was because of him the entire time. Yet it seemed her emotions were wrecked through something much deeper. She was pregnant with Derek's baby, with her step-brother's baby. She felt devastated, and at the same time, she wanted to keep it. How could two opposite feelings meet in the middle? It made no sense.

For the past few years, her relationship with Derek was estranged. They weren't necessarily on bad terms, it just happened naturally. Derek's schooling ended up leading him to a life of hockey, he was quite popular around school, and had a different group of friends than her. As for her, as always she was odd and unrefined. She made a couple good friends, and had many acquaintances. She dated a couple guys, and from what she could see Derek had no problem finding dates. It still irritated her beyond belief to see him with anyone, he would walk around campus with that doofus smile, and would taunt her with his dates as per usual. There were a few times where Derek would come sit by her favorite study tree, and they would chat easily. They saw each other for family dinners, and would run into each other all the him. He would tease her as she barreled by him, for walking around with her nose in a book.

Truthfully, there was little to complain about, for years she whined about Derek's closeness to her. She wasn't prepared to ......miss him. It was only a little bit, but it was enough to make her ponder why she missed him. Derek's hockey fame had gone to his head a bit after getting discovered by a scout. She had congratulated at the dinner with the family, she was honestly impressed. It wasn't long before Derek became even more annoying and his jerk tendencies went through the roof. Derek had always been cocky, but the way he walked around school resembled a peacock, completely showing off. If he wasn't popular before, he was now. He was constantly followed by groups of girls, and that's when everything changed. She never got any time to talk to him, he was always busy. Derek finished his schooling, and started playing hockey professionally. He was like a ghost for an entire year, and then suddenly two months ago, everything changed. 

* * *

Casey started a romance with a guy she met at the gym. His name was Vincent Dimarco, he was tall, blonde, and extremely attractive. Her dating life had been a mess the past few years, she had a couple long term boyfriends, but no one really got her attention until Vincent. He was in school to become a math teacher, he was kind hearted, goofy, and sweet. They dated for a whole year, and one day, she discovered him with another girl. She walked in on them when she wanted to surprise him one night. It shattered her to pieces, and she ran out of that room before she could form a word. Her phone rang again and again, but she hid in her room, crying her eyes out. She wasn't sure if it was the moment, but suddenly she was dialing a number she knew by heart, but never used. Normally she would have called Emily, or Lizzie, but as she dialed the number urgently, her heart raced wickedly. 

As the phone rang, she sat listlessly. "Hello," came his velvety voice.

She gripped the phone tightly against her cheek. "Der," she said through hard sobs, "I'm sorry to call you like this, out of the blue. It's just I have no one else to turn to," she sniffled, annoyed at herself for being such a cry baby and towards Derek of all people.

"Case, what is it? I can come over if you want," his voice sounded so soothing and she was trembling.

"Yes, please," she heard a brief goodbye and hung up. She paced around the apartment, wrestling with herself. Why did she call him? Obviously heartbreak made all logic disappear.

About an hour later, she opened the door to find Derek. He looked different. Somehow, he looked more mature. His eyes looked tired, but that same deviltry existed behind them. He buffed out, his hair was short, and styled. He wore an expensive looking leather jacket. He brought coffee, and chocolates. It was so uncharacteristic and sweet, and he smirked at her slowly. 

"Thought you could use some coffee," he handed it to her and coyly smiled, noticed her eyeing the chocolate. "I'm sure you will depress me, which is why I brought the chocolate for me," he said tauntingly. 

Casey found herself laughing, she missed his teasing ways. She moved over to let him pass, and he laughed as he handed her the chocolates. She watched him silently as he went to her couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. It should have annoyed her, but it was so typical Derek it was hard to be angry. "So, long time no see," she said timidly. "What rock have you been hiding under?" 

Derek smiled, as put his arms behind his back. "I guess I have been a little scarce, but what can I say, I'm becoming a hockey legend. It doesn't leave a lot of time for me to see anyone, I hardly see my shadow that's how busy I've been."

Casey sat on the loveseat across from him, and she just felt this fullness in her heart, she really did miss him. Not that she would ever tell him that. "I don't see why you can't text me or your family from time to time just so we know you're not dead."

Derek chuckled "Well, I'm not dead. And I'm here, now." The way he said it was so gentle, it made her do a double take. 

"Would you like anything to drink? I have some wine," she said as cheerfully as she could.

Derek eyed her with surprise. "You're offering me alcohol? This can't be good news," he said with alarm.

Casey got up and went to the kitchen and poured a glass out for him, and one for her. "Must be worse than I thought, if you are also drinking," he muttered.

She tried not to sniffle or cry, but she couldn't help it. "Just I know how much you hate tears, and you will definitely be in the presence of me bawling." She handed him the glass and sat beside him.

"What happened?" He leaned in towards her, and the eye contact was too much for her.

Casey felt the tears well up again. She was flustered. She took a swig of the wine. "Vincent cheated on me. I just can't believe this, why does this keep happening to me?" Her voice cracked. "I mean is there something wrong with me?" She stared ahead, too embarrassed over letting all her emotions out to him of all people. 

She waited for the laughter and onslaught of jokes, but Derek was surprisingly quiet.

"He's an idiot. A blind idiot. Don't blame yourself." She thought for sure she misheard him, and very slowly, as if moving through water, turned to face him. He looked concerned, angry, and shocked by it. 

She shrugged defeatedly. "You don't really know that, I guess I was just so focused on school, he probably felt left out and rejected. Maybe I pushed him to that extreme. Or Maybe I'm too demanding."

Derek reached for her, holding on to her shoulders. The act made her freeze. "Case. He was obviously a loser that didn't know what he had in front of him. He's a moron," he said bitingly. "You don't deserve that, and let me tell you I'd love to pay this guy a visit. Who does he think he is?"

Casey sniffled, "You're just saying that because you're my brother," she said glumly. She met his gaze and he gave her a turbulent look.

"Step-brother," he said with a bit of annoyance. "There's a big difference and you know it."

Oh she knew it, no matter how many times she told herself Derek was her brother, it just didn't seem right. "Derek," she moved away from him. "Is there? You have always treated me as a sister. You teased me, made fun of me, did so many things to me that scream brotherly. How is it not the same?"

She heard him breathing in sharply, "It just isn't. And as your step-brother, I have no real reason to tell you any of that unless I meant it."

She felt herself flush, and thanked him. He leaned back on the couch, and he sipped on the wine. They ended up talking for some time, he told her all about his hockey and how amazing it was. She just lingered on his every word, the liveliness of his voice, his usual high spirited self. Was Derek always so captivating? After a long pause, he threw her a dazzling smile.

"Want to watch a cheesy movie? Maybe that'll cheer you up," he elbowed her playfully.

"You would stomach that for me?" She asked with surprise.

Derek sighed with agony, "Normally, no, I would run away if I could. Nothing sours my mood more than unrealistic gushing and sappy declarations of love." He shivered, and gave her a little smirk. "But, you clearly need cheering up, so I'll just die in silence."

Casey smiled tenderly. "As sweet as that is of you, I for once agree with you. Romance feels dead to me now, thanks to Vincent." She looked at her glass of wine, and drank it down. She felt Derek's intense gaze on her.

"Woah, take it easy Case," he warned with a crooked smile. "Trust me, Vincent is not worth you feeling all sick tomorrow with a hangover. I can't believe that jackass had the nerve to do that to you. And he messed you up bad on top of that, if it managed to kill your romantic nature. Do you want me to go find him and give him a talking? " He looked so angry for her, and it felt nice to have him care for her to that extreme. 

"No, he's not worth it. I'm just ignoring his calls now." She said with a tight smile.

Derek moved a little closer to her and put his arm around her supportively. "What would make you happy tonight? It's killing me that you're so sad, and it's not just because I hate tears."

Casey felt warmth spread through her, maybe it was his attentiveness, but something needy and cloying with in her that started brewing. Maybe in the back of her mind, she just wanted to feel better. Or maybe it was that this scenario had played in her head begrudgingly for years. Derek was there, after a whole year of not seeing him. And he was present for once, and there he was, trying to cheer her up. And as she felt his arm around her, she suddenly became extremely aware of him, she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to pull him in closer to her, she wanted something too crazy to even consider. The thoughts went through her in unsettling jolts. 

"I think I know what would make me feel better," She was choking on air. Her heart was racing a million miles per hour. She turned to look at him, and he was smiling at her. She took a moment to take him in, he was right there was a difference between brother and step brother. And as hard as she tried, she couldn't seem to see him as a brother. The brewing intensified in her stomach. She just wanted one night with him, she wanted to tear down that hovering tension that had existed for years. She was tired of fighting it, and she couldn't find a reason not to give in. 

"Oh yea? Please don't tell me you're going to make me do a silly dance for you, or make me study with you?"

She shook her head slowly, and he laughed. "Fine, whatever you want, it's yours. Just for tonight though, you won't catch me any other time making a fool of myself."

Casey felt the tension boiling over, and suddenly it was as if he was so clear and in her line of vision. She could see every detail about him, the way he was smiling at her, those dark eyes surging with care and sweetness. It grappled at her heart, he was so......beautiful. "Just for tonight," she echoed back, and he looked at her with confusion. 

She took a deep breath, and moved closer to him. Everything in her was screaming at her to just do it, take the plunge. His eyes went wide as her gaze dipped to his mouth. It looked so tempting, so inviting, and Derek didn't have a moment to say or do anything, because she closed the distance. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled his head down with a force that she couldn't seem to mellow out. Nor did she want to. The moment she felt hip lips against hers, she was dying for air. As if Derek had taken her very essence from her, and she kissed him with intense longing. He was shocked momentarily, but she didn't ease up. She had taken the leap, and now she just couldn't hold back. Her hands gently soothed the nape of his neck, as her mouth chased for his kisses. And then he responded with a blinding ferocity. He crushed his body into her, wrapping her up in his arms and pulled her towards him. She felt comforted, secure, and the rampant need was surging through her. His hands were suddenly in her her hair, and as he deepened the kiss, she sighed. "Derek," She heard him trying to catch his breath, and could feel him trying to pull away. 

"Please," she murmured, "Just for tonight. Pretend I'm not me, pretend we are not step-siblings." She looked him straight in the eyes, his lashes heavily rimmed his eyes intense like molten lava. She threaded her fingers through his hair, she was trembling. His hair was much more softer than she imagined. "Derek, please be with me tonight," she said with heavy emotion. 

"Case," he said raggedly. He looked completely shaken up and surprised. "I can't just pretend you're not you, you're not like everyone else." His words seemed logical, but she could see the yearning emanating in him, could feel his arms move around her like manacles, holding her still. "You're upset, you're just trying to make yourself feel better, and tomorrow you'll regret this."

She shook her head adamantly. "I just want to live dangerously, for once. Please don't feel guilty, I just need this. Please." She moved in again, and kissed the side of his neck teasingly, she was going to use her persuasion skills to get what she wanted. Derek's was sighing harshly, and in a matter of seconds Derek's hands were in her hair urging on. 

He breathed, _"Oh, Fuck."_ She normally hated cursing, but she knew what it meant. He was going to give in to her request. She closed her eyes, just letting him touch her however he wanted. He cradled her face softly, the soft touch made her melt into him. She bit her lip in response. And the she felt his mouth at the corner of her eye, making his way down. The blistering kisses could be felt through her entire body, and when his mouth captured hers, she groaned deeply and he kissed like he was possessed. It took her breath away, and she was trying to pull him even closer. Derek pushed her back on the couch, and his body on hers made her lightheaded. He was like brimstone, hot all over, and kissed her so hard that he was pushing her deeper into the couch. 

She writhed against him, nothing had ever felt so good in her entire life. She always expected Derek was a good kisser, but she wasn't prepared for this. Every kiss had a different meaning behind it, sometimes it was passion, sometimes it was longing, other times it was urgent and unrestrained. And then there were the sweet and tender kisses, those made her brain short circuit because a tender kiss had never felt more lustful in her entire life. Everything around her was blurry. Every kiss was different, and she wanted it all. Her hands were suddenly rampantly trying to remove his jacket, and he broke the kiss. He was panting heavily, and let her take it off. She needed it, she needed him. They undressed each other with blindness and desperation it seemed, he grappled for her shirt and took it off lightning fast. His hands moved over her skin in dizzying motions and she was flushed all over. 

"Case," he sighed her name unevenly, "Let me take care of you tonight. I just want you to forget that jerk, okay?"

She blushed and managed to nod. "Can't even remember his name right now."

He kissed her throat until he reached the throbbing pulse. He kissed that spot deeper, and he breathed against that spot. "Good. Mission accomplished, but I'm not done yet." She buried her hands in his hair and pulled him down, and his mouth was everywhere. He explored her with intentional kisses, and she could barely remember her own name.

Derek made everything swirl with dark, crimson passion. The power in his touch made her quiver uncontrollably. He made her feel things that she never felt before, he was intent on making her feel good and she tried to keep silent but the moans kept slipping out of her mouth unchecked. Derek was truly gifted, not that she was surprised. She lost count of the amount of times he overwhelmed her senses. She was starving for him, and then everything changed. She needed to touch him, needed to run her hands over his skin, for her own curiosity. For as long as she could remember Derek would barely let her touch him, but now she had a rare opportunity to do it. And it felt so good, touching him made her swell with more desire. He was the only thing that existed in that moment. He seemed to take delight in her conflicted feelings of wanting it, but also questioning why. Eventually, there was no more fighting her mind, it went completely dark.

"Please, now." He seemed hesitant at first, but she clamped on to him tightly. "It's okay," she sighed, "I'm on the pill." She said urgently. 

He looked down at her for a long time, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, but maybe this was much more intense than he bargained for. The passion laced eyes, the colour in his cheeks, was a look that was so astonishing and it took her breath away. But this was Derek, she knew this wouldn't mean anything to him tomorrow and the glumness of that hit her, it only made her want him even more. This was a once in a lifetime, a rare giving in of indulgence. She didn't remember who made the first move, but suddenly they were moving together, flushed against each other tightly and he kissed her wildly as he gave in to her. He was careful, but in his eyes she saw a roaring intensity, and soon enough she was responding to him without any shyness, the ocean of pleasure opened up. She was so lost, but in his arms she was found and she wanted to hold on to the moment just a while longer. She gripped on to his back, sighed his name over and over again. There really was no other name of her mind but his, Derek. The most infuriating name, yet it felt so right to say his name in such circumstance, and he seemed to be unraveling as she kissed his ear, repeating nonsense in his ear. The explosion came quick, she wasn't aware of anything other than the crackling flames of what he was causing in her. 

One time turned into a full night of indulgence. Once was not enough for her, and he seemed unsatisfied as well. They went to her bedroom, and she shut the door. Derek was hers for one night, and she wasn't going to let this stop until she was forced to. It seemed impossible to feel so much all at once, but afterwards when they were both spent, and exhausted , she laid in his arms with a dazed expression. He seemed speechless, watching her with drowsiness, but he seemed content. Did he feel what she did? She didn't want to ruin the moment, so she just leaned into his body and closed her eyes. She didn't want to say anything to interrupt the moment. He rubbed her back in gentle glides, soothing her, and she could feel herself drifting off. She ended up falling asleep in his arms. 

When she woke up, Derek was busily putting his clothes back on. She looked at him with a mixture or confusion but also dawning realization. While she had drank a bit, she was fully aware of what they did and she felt that blush spread through her. It had to be the most passionate night of her life, she just couldn't seem to forget. Shyness bombarded her as she watched him, she felt her eyes just take in his back, powerful muscles trained by endless hockey. She felt that acute swirl of desire stir within her again, how was that possible? 

"Hi," she said timidly.

Derek stopped in his tracks, turning around slowly to look at her. The light soaked through the blinds, and it touched the side of his face. He looked almost angelic. She smiled a little, but he was looking at her in away she couldn't identify. He didn't smile, he seemed extremely perplexed. Oh no, He looked guilty, extremely so. She felt the anxiety bolting through her, and she didn't want to hear the words he was thinking. So she put on a confident smile, "Derek. Thank you for being there for me, and as promised this was just a one night thing. Already put behind me, okay? No hard feelings," she said cheerfully.

Derek glared at her, as if she had just given him the biggest insult. "You're speaking my language. Usually the girls I take to bed can't get enough of me, but hey, I'm glad I was able to satisfy your quench for revenge." She couldn't quite detect his tone of voice.

Casey felt his words sting her all over. "Well, you succeeded in helping me forget, that was the point right?"

He laughed dryly. "Right. Clearly I was a good enough actor that I could pretend something I didn't feel," he said smugly.

Casey's mouth dropped. "You're saying you faked it? The whole night?" She said accusingly. He simply nodded, giving her that damn smirk.

"Well, I faked it too," she tried to get even. 

Derek rolled his eyes and moved away from her, "I just wanted you to feel better, and that's what you asked for, so I did it. Simple as that. Don't see the point in trying to debate this, but you, are a terrible actress. And you liked it well enough to beg for seconds."

"I didn't beg, also I don't remember you at any point stopping. You seemed to enjoy it, I'm not that dense Derek. Must I remind you all the things you said to me in the heat of it?" She was highly insulted. During the second and third time, he was completely out of it, saying things like "You're so hot," or "Damn where did you learn that?" or "Oh, don't stop." Whenever she tried to please him.

Derek looked away, taking his time fixing his shirt. "I'm a guy, Case. Sex feels good, no matter who it's with. Doesn't mean I was into you."

Casey could feel the anger bolting through her in spurts. She wrapped the sheet around herself and stood up, walking towards him with lighting in her eyes. Derek backed up a bit, "So that's it, it was just pity sex for you?"

Derek shrugged, and plastered a deviant smile. "It was only one night as you said, so why does it matter why I did it? You were comforted, and hey I got to have sex, can't complain entirely."

Casey wanted to punch him and hard. Sure maybe she stated it was a one night thing, but to hear him admit it was such a casual experience cheapened everything she felt during the night. "Great, so I was trying to get over a jerk, by being with a jerk, clearly I'm stupid!" She turned away feeling the helplessness of the situation consume her.

She could hear Derek gasp behind her. "Case, there's a difference between me and Vincent. Vincent was in a relationship with you, he was committed to you. I am your step-brother, who you wanted to use as a distraction for one night. Don't pretend this is all on me when you used me, and hey, I was okay with that. I know it meant nothing to you, so don't you dare turn this all on me." He sounded a little wounded, his male ego probably.

Casey was trembling. She didn't use him, she wanted to say that nothing that happened was premeditated. That for once she made an impulsive decision, and yes it made her feel better, but she didn't use him to get over Vincent. He didn't even come in her mind once during the entire evening. Derek had her entire attention, and she wanted to be with him, because god help her, she missed him. And he clearly didn't realize that she had a weakness when it came to him being sweet to her, but he was too stupid to realize it. There was no point trying to defend herself, because there was a good chance she would say something stupid. She turned back to look at him and gave him a defiant smile. "Get out, and don't ever talk to me again," 

He laughed loudly, "You just read my mind. See you at Thanksgiving, I guess."

Derek gave her one last stony look over his shoulder, and he paused. He seemed to be looking up and down her body slowly, but before she could process if it was true, he left. She waited until she heard the sound of the door closing outside, before screaming into her pillow. She should have known, she asked for Derek to be himself with her and somehow thought she was the one that changed his ways. As if! She was such an idiot, there really was no room for mending a relationship now, not even a friendship, she knew it. Yet as angry as she was, she couldn't regret it. Why didn't she regret it?

* * *

Casey spent all day in her apartment, trying to figure out if it was worth even telling Derek she was pregnant. She knew he would pretend that night never happened, but at the same time her high moral standard made it impossible. She didn't expect anything from him at all, and was sure he'd just laugh it away. She wanted to confirm the pregnancy, so she called her doctor and set up an appointment. It was so strange entering a sterile environment like that. As she waited for her results, she pondered her life decisions. Did she really want to go through this? This was a baby, a huge responsibility. She'd be derailing her immediate plans, and she would be a single parent more than likely. 

The doctor came in and she sat up, looking at her with alertness. "Miss Mcdonald, congratulations. You are six weeks along. Would you like to do a sonogram now?"

Casey felt her heart thump merciless. It was true, it was real. She was pregnant. She nodded slowly. She was stars truck completely. As the ultrasound began, she saw the little fluttering and she could feel the tears emerge. That little flicker made everything in her fill up excitement, she wasn't expecting to feel that. That flicker was so beautiful, so tiny, but already had stolen her heart. She sobbed. _You're the love of my life,_ she whispered softly at the screen. She felt that protectiveness. The fear of the unkown suddenly vanished for a moment, and she marveled for a long time. This was Derek's baby, _Derek._ She felt that surge of protectiveness take over her, she wanted this baby more than anything. It alarmed her how quickly she went from being emotional and devastated, to suddenly falling in love in one moment. Casey drove all the way to Derek's apartment. She felt jittery, but at the same time no matter what Derek's reaction was, she wouldn't let that dictate her decision. She was keeping this baby, she didn't care who she had to face to make that a reality. She buzzed his apartment. 

  
"Hello,"

Casey took a deep breath, "Der, it's me. I need to talk to you." She waited anxiously for a moment, wondering if he would just pretend he didn't hear her, but the door swung open. _You can do this Casey, it will be okay,_ she told herself over and over as she climbed the stairs. 

She knocked on the door, and waited. Derek opened the door, and she felt nausea wreck her entire body. "Hi," she felt ashen and shaky all over.

Derek stared at her blankly for a while, "What do you want? I thought you never wanted to see me again."

She shrugged, hanging her head. "I......you know I didn't mean it. I was just angry for a moment, but it's passed. Can we talk please?"

Derek chuckled, "Alright, but if you think for one moment you will waltz in here and continue where we left off, you can turn around this instant. That is never happening again," he warned. When she looked up at him, she thought there was fear in his eyes, as if he was afraid she would try seduce him, was it really that awful for him? Was it truly such a sacrifice for him? 

"Trust me," she wavered restlessly, "That's the last thing on my mind right now. Please, let me in."

Derek sighed, and moved aside. He didn't trust her, that had to to be it. His reaction was extremely confusing. She looked around the apartment, it was such a typical guy apartment. Very modestly decorated, one plant, and a huge tv. She sat on his sofa, looking down. She was going to throw up, she could feel it climbing in her throat. 

"Derek," she motioned for him to sit down beside her, not meeting his eyes. 

He moved slowly, and sat down beside her, but moved as far away from her as possible. What did he think that she would just jump him? Did he really think she was dying to be with him again? "Make it quick, Case. I have a date tonight," he said urgently.

Casey shot him a look, and felt that territorial feeling surge through her. "A date? Derek, what I'm going to tell you will take longer than just a quick chat, you're going to have to reschedule this date."

Derek groaned in annoyance, "I'm not blowing her off for you, Case, just forget it. Now spit it out," he sounded more and more annoyed by the second. "If you're here to tell me how much of a mistake the other night was, then I can save you the awkward talk. It's already forgotten."

"Der," she reached for his hand, holding it tightly. "That's not why I'm here. What I'm about to tell you is extremely delicate, but I need to tell you."

Derek's breath hitched, and she slowly took measured breaths as she finally looked at him. He arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you okay? Did Vincent do anything to you?" 

She laughed humorlessly. "It's complicated."

Derek waited patiently as she tried to form the words. They were stuck in her throat. "I want you to know, I've made a decision and no matter what you say, I'm sticking to it. But you deserve to know."

He looked so frazzled, "Case, what the hell are you talking about?"

She closed her eyes, letting the words come slowly and as boldly as she could. "I'm pregnant."

Casey was scared to open her eyes. She had stopped breathing. She could hear Derek gasp. "You're what?" he said almost inaudibly.

She opened her eyes to find Derek white as a sheet, staring at her with pure shock. "I'm pregnant, Derek. I'm going to have a baby."

She could see him trying to digest the words, "You're...." his voice croaked. "Pregnant. Did that looser knock you up and leave you?" He got up angrily, his face became blotchy and red. "I'm going to find that guy right now and give him a piece of my mind."

"Der," she realized he hadn't made the connection yet. She reached for his hand, and pulled him down to sit beside her. "I'm six weeks pregnant. Which means, it happened two months ago." She looked him in the eye, trying to muster up the courage. "You're the father."

Derek pulled his hand back lightning quick, his eyes forming round saucers. "Me? Are you sure I thought you were on the pill."

Casey felt the tears starting to slip down her face. "It is you, because I haven't been with Vincent for more than 3 months, probably why he cheated on me. "

He started breathing heavily, "I'm the father," he repeated it to himself over and over again. He was freaking out, and she expected that. But she felt bad suddenly changing his life around, and it was all her fault. She was the one that pleaded to be with him, and this was the consequence.

She started sobbing, the hormones weren't making things any better. "I don't know why my birth control didn't work, but we were in the 1% ineffective percentage, I guess. I'm so sorry," she cried.

Derek softened, and moved closer to her. He seemed to move through a fog. "I am not angry at you at Case, just obviously shaken up. " She sniffled, trying to control the weepiness. "And you made a decision by the sounds of it,"

She nodded looking at him with determination. "I'm sorry, but I want to keep the baby. I don't expect you to be around or involved if you don't want to, but I want to have this baby. I just needed you to know the truth." 

Derek was in a state of shock, she could tell. She could feel every nervous emotion he felt, maybe he was upset, she didn't know. Minutes passed, and he kept staring at her. He seemed utterly speechless, and as time went by, she started panicking. She reached in to her bag and pulled out the ultrasound. "I didn't realize how much I wanted to keep it until I saw the heartbeat flickering." She handed it to him, and he looked at it, his hands shook as he studied the picture. He smiled a little bit.

"I know this comes at a bad time, you just started a career in hockey, I have a year left of my studies. But I want to do this, and I will do this whether you like it or not." 

He whipped around and gave her an intense look. She immediately regretted her words. "What kind of guy do you think I am? You really think I would just walk away from my own kid?"

Casey continued sobbing, "No, I didn't think that. Just I know our situation is so complicated, and well we aren't exactly in love or anything, yet we are pregnant."

Derek suddenly reached for her, and he slowly put his arm around her. She didn't realize the breath she was holding until she felt his touch. She felt herself relax. "Case, I may be a lot of things. I know I can be a jerk and say things I don't mean from time to time, but from that to leaving you on your own with this, is so not my style. Did you not see me? I was minutes away from kicking Vincent's ass thinking he was the one that got you pregnant. There are some things even I have limits for. And yes I'm freaked out, and yes it's a lot to take in. But I'm not going to leave you with this alone."

Casey turned to look at him with radiating hope. He was being serious, and she was choking on her sobs. She felt his hand steadily rubbing her back. "Really?" 

He nodded decisively and smiled at her. He was being so supportive, and it made her heart begin to beat again. "Hate to disappoint you, I know I'm the last person you wanted to do this with, but we're in this together. It won't be easy, but yes. I want to be involved if this is what you want."

She broke apart, and leapt towards him, hugging him tightly. She was far from disappointed, Derek surprised her entirely. "Yes, I want that more than anything." She knew the best thing for her baby was having Derek around, and the thought of having his help just made that nervousness fade away. She was holding him too tightly, but he stayed put. She breathed him in, and everything began to melt around her. 

Derek rested his forehead against hers as he pulled back, and he stared deeply into her eyes. She didn't know what he was thinking, but a slow smile went over his mouth, and then he slowly backed off. The shock was wearing off and he seemed like himself again. "I guess I have a date to cancel," he said with a bit of a laugh.

Casey watched him call the so call date, who was she? She felt so much better now, the weight was off her shoulders. She could hear Derek charming his way out of the date, and smiled to herself. Only Derek could pull off sounding charming when he was ditching someone. When he returned, he went to the kitchen and quietly put together some food. She could see hear him humming, _humming._ Was Derek truly happy about this? He returned with a tray of veggies, dip, cheese and crackers. "Now that I know you're pregnant, I need to make sure you're eating right."

She laughed, and stared in wonderment. "Aw you're being so sweet,"

Derek watched as she ate a little bit. She felt a blush go over her, it was hard to believe the last time she was with him was so.....passionate and wild, and now they were sitting there together, trying to process this new direction in their life. And despite Derek's lack of maturity at times, he was handling it well. "So, do you think there's a keener in there, or a cool kid like me?" He said with a bit of a wink.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Oh knowing my luck, he or she will be just like you. But I'm alright with that."

His smile fizzled away for a second, "Are you really? You'd be okay with a child that's just like me when I drove you insane for years."

Casey shrugged helplessly. _It's your baby, it's you why would I reject that? S_ he wanted to say. "Yes. Why wouldn't I? You're confident, strong willed, and you are not afraid to live life to the fullest. I could only hope my kid gets that from you."

He smirked and she could see a little blush go over his face. "Well, if that kid gets anything from you, I'd be pretty happy too." 

Casey laughed breathily, "I'm surprised you're not freaking out over the thought of a mini me."

He grinned, the effect of it caused her mind to short-circuit. "Trust me I am freaking out, but I'm trying not to come across as a baby here. I hope my kid gets your smarts, always been a little jealous of that and as for the rest, I got good practice with you."

Casey couldn't believe this, was this bringing them closer in a way? For years, she secretly wanted to be close to him and get along with him. And now this change of destiny just hit them over the head. She wasn't sure what to expect, but they talked for hours. And then came the realization they would have to tell the family. She couldn't imagine their reaction at that time, and the thought of having to tell them stressed her out. They agreed to deal with it at Christmas time, and in the meantime she wanted to keep it a secret until they were past a certain point. Derek mentioned that during hockey season, he would have to travel for months a time, and that thought made her sad. But he swore he would make sure to be there for her. As it got late, Casey felt really tired. Derek noticed and offered to drive her home, but she didn't want to inconvenience him. As she was getting up to leave, she felt his gaze on her. 

"Should we maybe try living together again? I just want to be around if you need me, and trust me with my schedule it's hard enough to get time to myself. I know it could be weird, but we could be just roommates. Who share a baby." His words swirled around her and her mouth gaped open.

She found herself smiling brightly, her and Derek cohabitating once more? She felt excitement, and also intense nerves. How would they proceed in this new area of their relationship, would they be friends? What if he wanted to date other girls, those thoughts swirled through her mind. Usually she wanted a plan, but she found herself nodding enthusiastically. "Okay, it does make sense. Let's talk tomorrow," she offered.

He shrugged apologetically, "I'm not available until Thursday, but we can talk on the phone, whatever you want."

Casey smiled sweetly at him, and as he walked her to the door, they lingered for a moment. "Text me when you get home," he said finally.

Casey laughed, and reached to nudge his arm. He stared at her, she had so much she wanted to say, but instead she said, "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd consciously ask me to text you."

Derek rolled his eyes with exasperation, and smirked. "Well, I'm a little out of it. You came here, told me you were pregnant, and I'm the father. Clearly I'm not myself, don't get used to it." 

She grinned, "Oh I wouldn't dream of it, goodnight Der." As she turned away, she felt that burden lift from her shoulders. And she could feel Derek's gaze on her the entire time until she got in the elevator and the door closed shut.

It was so surprising, she came in here expecting tears, anger and Derek's rejection, but this she did not see coming. As she drove home, she could feel the excitement pool in her stomach. She glanced down at her tummy, "Well, little one, you're going to arrive into a very confusing home. But I swear, you will be loved beyond measure. I love you," she murmured sweetly, finally allowing herself to be excited. She was going to be a mother. Derek was the father. And as crazy it sounded, she wouldn't have taken that night back. So many possibilities existed, and it was all thanks to Derek.

* * *


	2. Under Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Thank you so much for the support of this story, I truly wasn't expecting it :) This is the last chapter completed at the moment, since I was on a writing spree for months to have enough content to edit and post while I was in school, but I'm out of current material for this story. Please be patient as I update chapters from now on, they will come, but more sporadically. :)  
> Hope you enjoyed Derek's POV, please let me know what you thought of this chapter <3 <3 Do you think they'll be able to resist each other?  
> Thanks again for reading <3

Derek laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't believe it, Casey was pregnant. With his baby. He was still in complete shock, it was a lot to take in. He expected Casey to finally yell at him for that night, or demand on explanation. One which he wasn't ready to explain for the life of him. When he saw her, two conflicting emotions bombarded him: anger and lust. Anger, because he hadn't stopped thinking about her for one second, as hard as he tried. Anger because he should have been the clear headed one, should have known Casey wasn't herself. Should have known it was all a distraction for her, but he was so damn stupid for even thinking for a moment she wanted him. 

And then that wave of lust hit him, she stood there looking at him with a weary expression. Casey stared at him for a moment, and noticed right away she was nervous, she was chewing her lip anxiously. Her hair was up in a ponytail, wore a gray hoodie, she clearly didn't dress to impress, yet heat went up and down his back in sweltering surges. Oh god. He just wanted to pull her in and kiss her, wanted to run his hands through her hair, wanted so many crazy things all once. He was very aware of her, and was afraid of acting like a doofus so he immediately built that wall, told her to leave if what she wanted was a do over. He couldn't trust himself to keep away from her, so if he was standoffish, and a jerk as per usual then there was no way she would try and be nice to him. He tried to control his rampant need need for her, and when she finally spoke, it fizzled away instantly. She seemed intent and worried about something, so he stepped aside. Maybe this whole thing had been upsetting for her too, whatever it was, he was scared by her odd demeanor. 

When she uttered the words "I am pregnant", sickness took over, felt jealous and angry thinking it was Vincent who got her pregnant, but then she said it was his baby. He was completely floored, he was close to just puking up a storm. He got her pregnant. He'd spent years taking extra precautions with his dates, but with Casey he didn't think of it, he trusted her. Just as he was trying to digest that information, she told him she wanted to keep the baby. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think at all. She looked emotional, shaken up and scared, and even after how everything ended the last time they were together, he just couldn't find the strength to hurt her. So he internalized his freak out, but he was _definitely_ screaming on the inside.

Casey seemed so determined to keep the baby, and that surprised him entirely. He'd known Casey for so long, and she was the type of person to have everything planned out, and she was one year away from finishing a Masters in Psychology. She was close to the finish line, and knew what it meant for this baby to come in unplanned. Yet she looked so determined, and it was completely surprising. As the shock began to fade, the realization that Casey wanted to raise his baby hit him over the head. Didn't she realize that would mean him being in her life all the time? Did she really want that? When she handed him the photo, it made it real. He was thrown off by his own reaction to it, he didn't feel panic, or anger. Nor was he annoyed. He felt a swell of pride take over, and a twinge of excitement. This was _Casey_ , his step sister, the girl that had driven him up the wall for years. _Casey_ , the girl that he thought about more than he'd ever freely admit, the girl he thought for sure he'd never see again after that night. She was going to be the mother of his child, _Casey._

And as always, she thought the worst of him. Yes, he was a complete jerk to her after that night, but did she truly think he was capable of knowingly abandoning a child? It irritated him beyond belief, how could she be the smartest girl alive yet be so dumb when it came to him? When Casey started crying, the anger vanished, damn it, why did that always happen? Just like he dropped everything for her that night when he heard her crying, again he dropped that wall seeing those tears. He just couldn't help himself. He just knew he couldn't leave her alone with this.

He had no clue what the future would hold, no idea how they would co-parent this baby, but sure was intrigued as hell at the thought of trying to make something work with her. Casey was responsible, strong, and knew if she set her mind to it, she would raise this kid no problem on her own, but he just didn't want that to be their case. Their situation was complicated, he just couldn't imagine seeing her for family occasions with his kid and not be part of it. When she hugged him, he realized how relieved she was to have him around and just felt the need to take care of her, he needed to. It wasn't just about Casey anymore, this was _his_ child, and he couldn't look the other way. The idea to live with her circulated in his mind the longer he processed it. He was already busy, and as Casey's pregnancy went on, she might need him, or what if there was an emergency? He kept telling himself it was a logical decision, it had nothing to do with _wanting_ to live with Casey, although he couldn't help but feel excited over the thought of living with her again. She had agreed to move in with him, and now he just couldn't believe the 180 his life took. 

As much as he told himself he didn't care about her, he ended up doing stupid things without thinking about it. He fought against it to the bone. He resisted those feelings, because they were annoying and inconvenient. Five years ago, Casey had made it extremely obvious that she saw him as a brother, how could he forget that conversation in the kitchen where she said it was the same difference? He had applied at the same University as her, stupidly to be around her. He kept making idiotic decisions, he should have just followed Sally to UBC, but no, he just had to go where Casey was. Although he made excuses for it, told himself it wasn't for Casey, but because he deserved to try and be at a good university, but then quickly realized he had no real passion for anything at that school. He had absolutely no idea what courses to take, but he just took random ones to pass the time. He ended up taking a business degree, which was so dull and boring. He saw Casey occasionally, but they literally had different classes, different friendships, and honestly being around her made him extremely uncomfortable. He needed to stop thinking about her so damn much, the first year he tried to prank her a few times, but it just wasn't the same. He didn't get the satisfaction he normally got, and so he just dated around for years. Hockey saved him from going crazy out of his mind. Casey dated a few nerds through out, and he just dove deeper into hockey, and basically any hot girl that would smile at him. When he got scouted to play for the Maple Leafs, he thought he was dreaming. It seemed insane, how often he thought about playing professionally, but actually getting that call was life changing. 

When he went to celebrate with his family, Casey was extremely supportive, and well sweet. She pulled him aside, and the words still rattled through his mind. "Derek, you have no idea how proud I am of you. You're just going to become larger than life, and I mean you already were, I mean you're Derek Venturi. Just don't forget us," she had teased. Getting Casey's admiration always made him a little weak, it was infuriating. And not long after he got scouted, Casey started dating Vincent. He just didn't have much of a reason to keep in touch with her. Until that night.

That night wound haunt him for the rest of his life, he was sure of it, but he refused to think about it. Would not even go there, so he tossed and turned, but knew without a doubt there was no way he was sleeping tonight.

* * *

The next morning, Derek went off the rink, still feeling so overwhelmed with everything that happened. For a moment he thought it was all a crazy dream, but everything came screaming back. Was he nervous to become a father? Hell yes, he hardly kept track of himself on the best of days, he was still immature and an idiot. But, he drove all the way there with a smile on his face, despite how stressed he felt. He was surprised when he woke up to a text from Casey, and immediately sat up and read it.

_Derek, we need to meet tonight. We have a lot to go over. You know that moment when excitement fizzles out, and you realize the amount of work you have to do to prepare for this? Well it's hit me, I'm freaking out. In 8 months a baby will come out of me, like how is that possible? Won't I die? Clearly I can't wait until Thursday to start planning things, please Der. I can meet you at the rink if you want._

Derek laughed, there it is, there's the Casey he knew so well. The night before despite some tears, Casey seemed completely calm about keeping the baby, he knew it was a matter of time before she realized what it truly meant.

_Case, as much as I'd love to spend the night with you freaking out in my ear, you shouldn't be out so late._

His heart thumped as he read her next text. _Well consider this a practice run for when we move in, I can sleep on your couch if you want. Just one night, okay? I'm desperate, and Der you don't want to anger a pregnant woman._

Derek couldn't help it, the just one night seemed to be a theme in their relationship recently, and it made him a little nervous. Just one night was a dangerous game, but despite the warning going through him, he couldn't say no. She was right, they had a lot to go over.

_Fine, can't have that. See you at the rink at 9._

Derek spent the day surrounded by the sound of skates clinking, the hockey sticks slapping the ice, and he was completely out of it. So much on his mind, and everything blurred around him. Casey was all he could think about, and he was playing like a fool. He knew it, his teammates had made remarks all day, and missed a lot of shots. It was totally lame, getting so blatantly distracted, staring at the clock and counting the minutes until he saw her again. He groaned inwardly, he was so pathetic.

"Venturi, what the hell is the matter with you? You're missing a lot of shots there," Coach Richardson yelled from across the rink. 

Derek skated over to him, feeling like a complete moron."Sorry, I just didn't get a lot of sleep."

His coach just stared at him with vivid frustration. "You have been playing a little off for awhile now. It's starting to concern me. Don't make me regret taking you on."

Derek swore under his breath, "I know, I swear this is just a fluke. Just going through some personal stuff, I'm not normally this.... "

"Braindead?" He responded surlily. "Well, you're going to have to sort your shit out, because we have the season coming up in a few months, or you're fired. Simple as that."

Derek apologized, but the coach let out a gruff sound, and turned away, cursing a million miles per hour. Derek returned to the rink, taking shots, and then he felt it. Felt her gaze on him, and looked to his right. Casey was all bundled up in a white fluffy coat, wearing a pink toque, her cheeks were rosy from the cold. She sat there with a little smile, and waved. Great, he was already playing like a total loser, Casey could have come any time during the year to see him at his best, but no, there she was watching him fail. He nodded in her direction, and tried to refocus on finishing with some dignity. She had come an hour early. Not that it was surprising, she was always early for everything. He tried to block her out of her line of vision, but it was pointless. He was beyond distracted. He was intensely aware of her gaze, following him like headlights. He managed to get one shot in, and heard her cheering and clapping. He couldn't help but look over at her, she was smiling vividly, and he ended up smiling back at her. Ugh, he was losing it.

When his shift ended, he saw one of his team mates, Brody Spencer, approach her. He was leaning up against the glass, talking to her. He was smiling at her, and Casey was just fidgeting, and laughing nervously. Derek was already moving before he could even think of anything, and was beside him in a matter of seconds.

"What ya doing?" He asked Brody with a strong pat on the shoulder, and couldn't help but glare at Casey. 

Brody gave him a little nudge, laughing with delight. "Oh just getting to know your step-sister," he said with little tilt of his eyebrow and turned back to her. "As I was saying, I couldn't help but notice you. You're beautiful." Casey turned beet red and sputtered a thank you. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Casey looked at Derek, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. Really? She was having a baby and was flirting up a storm with a random guy she just met? He felt a rush of jealousy go through him, was step sister even the right term now? Casey must have sensed his annoyance, and turned back to Brody. "I'm not seeing anyone, but I'm not available. In fact, I will probably be single for a long time," she said with a touch of sadness. 

Brody didn't seem deterred by that, and gave her a little wink. "Well, that is a shame. A girl like you deserves to be shown off, spoiled. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." And with that, he left. Casey looked away with embarrassment, and he couldn't help it but be snarky.

"You better not go after my teammates, Case," he said with a possessive edge. "This is my job, not a matchmaker service."

Casey finally looked at him, and rolled her eyes with exasperation. "Please, I would never. I'm a little busy trying to juggle my crazy life at the moment to even think about dating. Are we leaving or what?"

"Let me go change, hey in the time I am gone I hope I don't come back and find you engaged, " he moved past her with a huff, he couldn't help it. He couldn't stand guys hitting on her especially being pregnant with his baby. As he moved past her, she reached for his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He looked down at her, with that glare and then she smiled at him, completely taking him off guard.

"I don't know anything about hockey, but you're killing it out there. I can tell, " she said with encouragement and gave him a thumbs up.

Derek's scowl melted off his face, and he smirked. "Clearly you didn't see the coach yell at me, then."

Casey sent him a teasing smile, "When is anyone not yelling at you? There's something about you Der that makes people want to yell, but it doesn't mean you aren't good at what you're doing."

Derek laughed, and felt a burning flush go over his face. She was complimenting him? Clearly she was clueless when it came to sports, but Casey was sincere. She was a terrible liar, so coming from her, it meant a lot. He looked away, trying not to look so stupid. "I guess I played a little off today."

Casey grazed his arm very gently, and found himself staring at her. "You just found out your life is changing drastically, you're allowed to have a little off day, just don't let it get you down. From where I was sitting, you were so great."

He wavered on his feet, feeling weak. She was looking at him with a sweet smile, and he just broke out into a grin. He seemed to move closer to her without any real thought, and she took one step forward until she was within reaching distance.

"Thanks," he said lightly, but there was a hovering tension at least on his side. He just wanted to pull her closer, and was distracted by the puff of cold breath escaping her lips. She seemed to be breathing too fast all of suddenly. He felt his own gaze slowly go down to her mouth, and he froze, what was he doing? "Uh, see you outside, okay?"

He turned away as quick as possible, escaping that tempting scenerion. He was moments from just kissing her senseless. When he was done, he found Casey waiting by the entry. "Are you hungry?" He asked without looking at her.

"No not really, I've been sort of stressed all day."

He tried to come off as lighthearted as possible, "So you decided it would be a good idea to be around me? Trust me, I'm stressed too."

Casey's breath caught in her throat. "Are you regretting saying you'd be there for me?" 

Derek looked over his shoulder, she seemed completely serious. "Case, you know I don't, but there a few kinks we need to sort out. I mean that's why you wanted to see me right?"

When they got in the car, she was really quiet, and her eyes began to water. He searched around the glove compartment for a kleenex and handed it to her. "What's wrong?"

Casey started sniffling, dabbing at her eyes. "I just get hit with waves of different emotions at different times. I'm happy one moment, and blue the next. I just can't keep up. I was looking through my agenda, and started freaking out. I have so many assignments due, but I also want to start researching everything, but I feel stuck. I don't know where to start," he felt the need to hug her so badly, but instead he just handed her another kleenex. "And now, we are moving in together, but like I need to have a plan Derek."

What was it about Casey in tears that made him lose his mind? "Oh I know you do, I expected it. Tell you what, since you're the one that's pregnant, I'll let you come up with the house rules you want. And I swear I'll try not to groan or complain. Okay?"

Casey was watching him a wistful look. "You'd actually let me come up with the rules? You, the person that for so many years got mad at me for imposing my rules?

Derek shrugged playfully, "Well it only seems fair. You're carrying my child, that's punishment enough," he said with a little smirk. That seemed to cheer her up, so she leaned back in her seat and giggled.

When they got to his place, he led her to the bedroom. "I will sleep on the couch." Casey started to argue with him and he just cut her off. "No buts, I'll survive."

He left her to get dressed or whatever she needed to do. He felt jittery, moving around restlessly. Having Casey in his apartment for the night was nerve wracking. He made some snacks while he waited, and she eventually came out wearing bright yellow pyjamas and slippers. She sat on the couch, fidgeting around, was she nervous too? 

It took him a moment to realize she had a notebook, ready to get right to it. He brought the food over and placed it in front if her. She ate silently, as he just tried to think of anything else other than the memory of kissing her on her couch. He noticed she avoided eye contact, not that he could blame her, being in a similar setting like that night felt too similar. It was hard not think about it.

"So, when should we move in together?" She asked finally. 

"I think as soon as possible, but you and I both have one bedroom, as much as I love my couch we'll need to look for a brand new place."

Casey opened her notebook and pulled out different clippings of apartments in the area. "Already beat you to it," she said with a little smile. "Here are the ones that look the best, but I made sure to look for apartments that were as equal as possible in distance radius to my school and your job."

He grinned, how could he not? She was always so prepared and thought through everything. She handed them to him, and glanced through five pages of clippings. She must have stayed up late. "I hate moving, just pick the ones you like and we'll go from there. I'm sure you have a favourite one, might as well start there." 

Casey's eyes turned brilliant with excitement. " You just know me so well," she laughed, looking extremely surprised. "Okay so this one here has two bedrooms and a den. It's a townhouse which would give us more space, place for the baby room could be the den, and we both have our own rooms. Although probably the first little while I will want the crib in my room, I'll be too scared to sleep separately. There are five daycares with wonderful reviews in the area. There's a gym close by, I know you need to keep fit, there's parks, and a nice trail not too far away. It's away from downtown so it's not too loud. It looks super cute too, just imagine all the ways we could decorate it!"

Derek just sat there, mouth gaped open. She was insane absolutely insane how she put thought into everything. "Well, you clearly know what you're looking for. I was just going to go for the place with the cool tree. But your selection makes more sense, leave it you to nerd out the moving process."

She shrugged victoriously, "One of my special talents. But it's important to me you like it too."

He would literally be happy living in a shoebox as long as Casey was there. As much as he used to complain about living with her, it was so fun despite how different they were."What's not to like? Call and set up an appointment. We can try to move for the end of the month." 

Casey squealed with excitement, "One thing checked off, only a thousand things left to do."

A question nagged at him viciously. "So, how long should we live together?"

Casey's smile faded. She bit her lip nervously. "Until it stops making sense, I guess." She took a deep breath, he could tell it was a lot to process. "I mean eventually, you will meet someone. As for me," she trailed off. She looked at her hands with a troubling expression. "Not many guys would want to be with someone who's already had a baby. If I was high maintenance before,I am at a completely different level now."

Derek felt her words seize him around his neck. And yet she still wanted to do this? She was sacrificing all of her dreams, Casey the romantic was giving up the perfect fantasy to have this baby. She seemed so deeply upset.

"Hey, I'm sure you will meet someone that's just as crazy as you. Just now you'll really know who the serious guys are, think about it, if someone is unable to be around you and your child then obviously they aren't the right person for you." 

She smiled a little, looking at him with a faraway and distant look. "Thanks." She turned away from him, and her cheeks became flushed. "I'm sorry Der, but since we are moving in we can't just ignore what happened. We have to talk about the elephant in the room."

He gulped anxiously, oh dear god. She was going there, was going to talk about the night. He managed a little nod, but felt the blood drain from his face. She hugged her knees, as if she was putting the most distance between them as possible.

"I know it's awkward, but we have to address it. If it hadn't been for this baby, you and I might have gone through awkward forced encounters for the rest of our lives. And now life suddenly threw us together. I...." she sighed deeply. She wouldn't look at him, and he just held in his breath. "I am sorry," she breathed. "I shouldn't have kissed you, shouldn't have crossed that line. I just wasn't thinking clearly, but I swear I didn't use you as a distraction. I just forgot for a moment you're my step brother, you were being so sweet and well, I just got caught up in the moment. I just don't want things to be so weird between us. And while I appreciate the fact you put aside your disgust for me for one night, I swear it won't happen again."

He groaned inwardly. Disgust? He wished it was that simple, but he couldn't even seem to form the words. She got carried away, but as much as she said it wasn't for a distraction, it still didn't make sense why she did it. And it sounded like she regretted that night deeply.

"Well, I didn't exactly stop you," he said it slowly. "I did want to make you feel better, and well, it wasn't an awful night. You weren't entirely terrible in bed, so I guess I got carried away too." Fuck, it was so hard having this conversation, because he just couldn't even understand himself why he let it happen.

She let go of held in breath, "So it wasn't just you doing it for my sake?"

He stared at his hands for a long time, feeling her eyes boring into him. "I guess I just freaked out, I mean it was me and you. A one night stand with you was probably not the smartest decision. But it's probably best to put that night behind us. We have a baby to think about now."

He hoped that would be convincing enough to satisfy her curiosity, but knowing her she was probably asking herself a million words. She seemed to be contemplating his words. And she reached out her hand, "Truce?"

He looked at her hand, taking a deep breath. He shook it, and looked into those larges, beautiful eyes. "Truce," he echoed back, and felt tingles shoot up and down his back feeling her touch. Damn, never had a handshake rendered him so idiotic before. She smiled, and he slowly let go.

"Derek," she said with a bit of embarrassment, hugging herself as if she was trying to shield herself. "The only house rule I have is, well I don't want you to bring dates to our place. I'm not saying don't date anyone, I just don't want to see your dates in the morning, it's you know weird." She turned beet red, looking down abashedly. "I know it's a stupid request, but it's my only one."

Derek couldn't help but smile, he could relate to that for sure. Like hell he wanted to run into her dates either.He felt sharp jealousy go through him at the thought of Casey dating anyone to begin with. "I can agree to that, as long as you do the same. I don't want to have to play nice with other guys in their pajamas." He said with a grossed out expression. It was a truly sickening thought.

She laughed, although he was tempted to ask what was so funny about it. And then suddenly, Casey's face blanched. "Oh no," she muttered, getting up quickly and ran to his bathroom. He got up quickly, following her only to find her vomiting, on the ground. He stood there in complete shock.

"Case, are you okay?" She wretched for a few minutes. As disgusting as it was, he couldn't leave. 

"Morning sickness," she said through gritted teeth. "Up to this point, I had nausea and fatigue, but this is the first time that's happened." She got up slowly and was swaying a little, completely lightheaded. Derek didn't think twice, and wrapped his arm around her to keep her from falling. 

"Sounds like a drag," he said with a hint of a smile in his voice. 

Casey inhaled deeply, rubbing her temples. He rubbed her back in gentle strokes, until her breathing returned to normal. "So much for the pregnancy glow," she groaned. "I'm so disgusting."

"You really are," he teased and she gave him a death glare. "Probably the most repulsive you've ever been," he smirked. Yet she was still beautiful even in her most repulsive states, but he bit back that comment. He still had his arm around her, he couldn't seem to let go.

"De-rek !" She said angrily, and he just laughed. It was the first De-rek he'd gotten in years, and it felt so right. She poked his chest angrily, "You know what? New rule, no making fun of me or calling me repulsive ever again as long as I'm pregnant."

Derek laughed uncontrollably, "Something tells me by the end of this, there will be a million rules, won't there?" That familiar rivalry sparked that tension. She looked at him angrily, but he could tell it wasn't real anger, just the kind that made it so addicting to keep on teasing her. Like the old days, except now he was even more attracted to her than ever before. She turned away and brushed her teeth aggressively, watching him with intensity in the mirror. She moved past him, going straight for his bedroom. 

He leaned up against the door watching her as she folded her arms over her chest, there was a tinge of a smile on the corner of her mouth. She was just as amused by their banter, he could tell.

"Come on Case, you didn't truly expect to live with me and not get the usual side of sarcastic and teasing comments, did you?"

Casey's scowl slowly melted away, and she just laughed. "I guess not, but I thought in least you'd have nicer things to say to the mother of your child every once in a while."

Derek just couldn't help it. "Oh, I don't know about that, seeing as the last time I was sweet to you, it ended up with me getting you pregnant, I don't think you're truly ready for that yet. Apparently it made me so irresistible that it made you stop thinking, that's something I didn't think you were capable of doing."

Casey's eyes went round, her mouth gaped open. She looked away with agitation, and her cheeks turned a bright pink. She sputtered nervously, and he immediately regretted it. He couldn't help it, he needed to remind her that so called sweetness was the reason she forgot he was her step brother. To the point where she just kissed him, but now he felt like an idiot for even bringing it up."I'm joking Case," he said quickly. "Maybe it's too soon for jokes then, hey?"

She looked down nervously, "Definitely too soon. I am tired, Der, I should go to sleep," she went to the bed and pulled back the covers getting underneath them as if she was trying to escape him. "I guess, thanks for seeing me on such short notice. As soon as I leave tomorrow, I will start making preparations for us to move in."

In just a short month, this would be the regular, seeing Casey all the time, and he was excited. He was worried it was showing on his face just how much he wanted this. "Who would have thought you and I would live under the same roof again?"

Casey's nervousness faded a bit, and she met his gaze. "Certainly not me, but it feels oddly.......like five years never went by. You are the exact same, Derek."

Derek smiled, "Well, I guess it's time to research pregnant safe pranks then."

She laughed, and he just lingered a little longer than he intended. "Goodnight Case," he said softly, and started to close the door but stopped. "And goodnight little one" he said quickly eying her tummy with a little smile. 

Casey shot him a brilliant smile, "Goodnight from the both of us."

This was madness, he just wanted to stay up for hours and talk with her but he needed to be smart about this. He slowly shut the door and went to the couch, contemplating the whole night. Casey was moving in one month, and if tonight was a test run, then he was in for a lot of fun with Casey. But also he was in big trouble. What if living with Casey was so incredible that he never wanted to move out? Then what?

Having her sleeping in his bed, definitely made him stir, memories of that night kept screaming back. He closed his eyes, finally letting himself remember. He should have stopped her when she kissed him, should have known she was trying to distract herself with meaningless sex. Yet as he thought back on that night, he was shaken up. He told himself for weeks it was the alcohol, the timing, and wanting to make her feel better, that he just reacted the way any red blooded man would with someone like Casey. But holy hell, he didn't expect that. Casey his annoying, uptight step sister, was insanely hot and easily the most passionate girl he'd ever been with. He tried to tell himself the sex was just okay, that it was just that, a one night stand but he dreamt about it for weeks afterwards. As much as he told Casey, it was pity sex, he couldn't deny it to himself. Sex with Casey McDonald had to be the most pleasurable thing he'd ever experienced. He _hated_ that he liked it so much. But that was not what had kept his stomach up in knots for weeks. He would be a liar if he said he never thought of Casey that way, but it wasn't just physical attraction that killed him for years, but what he felt for her at times. And that night, he was overwhelmed on all fronts.

When he heard her crying, he just didn't think, was already heading to the door before he even hung up. He needed to be there for her. He was outraged that Vincent cheated on. Seeing her so upset made him forget his usual tendencies. He ended up cheering her up, and next thing he knew, she was kissing him. And damn, it was a good kiss. He always wondered if dreaming of kissing Casey eclipsed what reality would be like. He thought maybe it was just built up tension all these years, but reality was never like fantasties. Turns out, he was dead wrong.

Casey overwhelmed him. His brain was screaming "Don't, don't let this happen," but his body betrayed him. He was powerless against it, and Casey's feistiness didn't make it any easier. When she asked him to spend the night with her, he tried to stop it. Kissing was one thing, but her asking for sex seemed unreal, and crazy, but his mind just stopped working altogether. And he was literally attacking her, something broke loose in his head clearly. She was fiery, unrestrained what guy in his right mind would turn her down? He was mortified by his own reaction to her.

Sex had always been something he enjoyed, but it was always about the act, he seldom really felt anything other than the physical. With Casey, he just couldn't help but look at her face, couldn't help getting lost in her eyes, or go crazy over the way she said his name. Her touch made him weak and completely lightheaded. He was mesmerized by the warmth of her skin, the way she looked at him. How she would bite her lip, noticed every response, how she gripped him, how her body literally was pulling him in. He wasn't used to losing his mind, he was always the silent type, but not with her. 

The morning after when he woke up, he looked over to find her curled up against him. Her hair was a wild mess, but she looked so fucking beautiful. He stared at her for a while, and gently grazed the skin on her back gently, trying to store in his mind how smooth it was. Her face looked so carefree, her mouth was red from all the kisses they shared. He realized she was completely exposed, and very gently pulled up the sheet, taking a moment to take in her curves and covered her up. He stopped and kissed her shoulder, and then her neck. He could hear her breathing accelerate, and then found himself hovering over her face, wanting more than anything to kiss her again, and that's when reality hit. Oh, no. He just had sex with his step-sister, with Casey, what the hell did he do?

He immediately felt guilty. Guilty as hell, because she was clearly not herself, but at the same time he wanted to ravish her, wanted to do so many things again as if he hadn't spent all night with her. He thought about how upset she was the night before, and had every intention of apologizing for allowing it to happen. He wanted to tell her he didn't regret it, but obviously this couldn't continue. Or could it? He felt agitation at the thought of it never happening again. If Casey got upset over it, then maybe it meant she felt something. And then he heard her behind him. He was speechless, everything he rehearsed in his mind vanished. Oh fuck, he wanted her again. He tried to act cool, but he was dying to push her back and kiss her again.

He expected some sort of freak out, but to his surprise a confident smile took over her face. She looked at him steadily and thanked him for the night as if he was some stranger, and told him it was already put behind her. What? That's it? No usual Casey breakdown over if it was a mistake or not? Literally he would have taken any reaction over that one. She seemed indifferent, and he just snapped. He couldn't stop the anger, annoyance and frustration. Fine if she saw him as a one night stand with no real remorse or her usual consequential way of thinking, then he would just be a stranger with her.He knew he was being a jerk, knew he was hurting her, but he couldn't stop the words. When Casey got up with that angry look on her face and asked if it was pity sex, he had to fight against himself not to pull her in and kiss her madly, but there was no turning back. 

When he left her that night he wanted to punch a wall so badly. Yet that night was burned into his mind, how could he ever truly forget that? Any other experienced he had just seemed so lackluster, and now Casey had set up a huge standard that he doubted anyone else could ever compare to her. But why? Why Casey? Why did it have to be her that made him lose control? He refused to unlock that part if his mind though refused to try to understand why he reacted that way. 

Now all he wanted was to stop thinking, he needed to stop fantasizing about her. That night, as amazing as it was, could not be repeated. There was no choice but to pretend it never happened, even though she was pregnant. He just didn't want anything to get in the way of at least having a normal relationship with Casey. His focus was now trying to make sure she felt comfortable with him, and was certain that Casey didn't want him that way anyways. She needed him that night, and that's all it was for her. Now she needed support, because he was certain pregnant Casey on hormones would definitely need some help. He finally drifted off, and dreamt about her. Dreamt about her on a rocking chair, putting their baby to sleep, and him sitting beside her, with his arm around her. 


End file.
